Penny Junor is sort of a professional royal sycophant, a long-time hagiographer to various royal figures. Junor was one of the “royal journalists” who took Prince Charles’ side in the War of the Wales, and she still maintains that position, having just published an authorized biography of the Duchess of Cornwall, a biography which completely lies about what really went down between Charles and Camilla during the Diana Years. Well, now Junor has written a column for the Daily Mail about why Harry took Meghan Markle to Botswana. It’s just as sugary and sycophantic as you would imagine.
Africa is the one place on earth where Prince Harry can be truly himself. He describes Botswana as his ‘second home’, but this magical country is even more than that — it is his haven, his safe harbour. Of all his family, he wears his ‘royalness’ the most lightly, and in Botswana he can cast it off altogether. He is not a prince under African skies. He is just Harry. That, I believe, is the real significance of this holiday with his girlfriend, the American actress Meghan Markle.
Since photographers spotted them walking across the airport in Botswana last week, loaded with baggage, his arm protectively around her and with the most affectionate of smiles as he gazed at her, the bookies have been offering odds on whether Harry would propose over the next few days. But they are missing the point. This is the best opportunity Harry will ever have to show Meghan the real man behind the royal persona, with the weight of public attention and duties removed from his shoulders. I hope she will adore what she sees.
And as I discovered when researching Harry’s biography, at 33 he has matured into a sweet, kind, thoughtful, generous and a genuinely nice man. He never pulls rank, and is not remotely stiff or awkward. And it seems obvious to me that he’s very much in love with Meghan. Since their relationship was revealed last October, he has calmed down noticeably. I think he’s partying less often, and has a more grown-up air about him. He may well have already made up his mind to ask Meghan to marry him, but it would be a mistake to assume this is bound to happen, just because his older brother William chose Africa as the backdrop for his own proposal to Kate, seven years ago.
The spot that William picked is perhaps the most romantic place on the planet — Lake Rutundu in Kenya, as far from the royal hubbub as anyone could go. Kenya has deep resonances for the royals: it was here, after all, that the young Princess Elizabeth heard of the death of her father, George VI. From that moment, she was Queen. But none of that will have influenced Harry’s decision to take Meghan to Botswana. I doubt that he gave a moment’s thought to the past — or what his brother did. The couple have simply gone to the one place he can be properly free.
Harry has many friends in Botswana, who value him as a human being rather than a walking status symbol. They will protect him and his privacy fiercely. Even better than that, most ordinary Africans don’t care that he is a prince. It’s irrelevant to them. He has the freedom to be a normal person here. And that is priceless. I know Harry has planned this trip for months. He originally hoped to introduce Meghan to some of his favourite places on this vast continent in January, though they had to settle for a trip to see the Northern Lights in Norway — impressive, but not really what he wanted.
I’m catching a whiff of racist/neo-colonialist “noble savages of Africa” commentary about this, like Harry can only truly be himself when he’s around the regular, noble Botswanans who do not know or care about royalty, as opposed to all of the civilized – and therefore terrible – people back in England. I mean, I’m sure he loves Botswana. I’m sure he loves to go on vacation there. I’m sure he wanted to show Meghan a place he loves. But both brothers seem to really love their neo-colonialist fantasies, right?
Photos courtesy of WENN, The Sun.
Ick. That’s all I have for this commentary. I’m not surprised though
“Harry has many (white) trustafarian friends in Botswana, who value him as a fellow (white) trustafarian rather than a walking recipient of public money in return for public duties.”
Fixed it.
I mean, I don’t deny they likely have obnoxiously colonialist sensibilities, but I don’t think it’s why they like Africa. They like Africa because they can behave like “normal” trustafarians there. Whereas, if they do it in the UK, it’s visible and people notice. Ditto their liking for ski resorts.
LOL Sixer you always come through
Not wrong though, am I?! 😉
No you’re dead right.
Perfect Sixer!
So true, and that’s what sticks in my craw about it.
It takes a lot of money to commune with your true free nature 3,000 miles from home. Several times a year.
I find it so bizarre that in 2017, these *young people have such colonial, imperialistic views. I know 80yr old dowager duchesses who were raised with Amahs with more progressive views.
*anyone younger than 50yrs old at generous estimate, but really i mean anyone 40yrs old and younger.
Glad you said it, Kaiser. Their whole fascination with others Africa isn’t unsettling to me. It reeks of colonialism and terrible judgment. The whole idea of them going to Africa with their rich buddies is at best tone-deaf.
Penny Juror longs for the day of the Empire. I really can’t believe she gets paid for this nonsense.
I can’t believe it either, she’s sickly enough to produce projectile vomit in unsuspecting passers by.
To quote that cinematic masterpiece Wayne’s World, “It costs a lot to live this free.”
YUCK.
Yep. Their sad little neo-colonialist fantasies are gross and tone-deaf.
On the other hand, if he wants to go ahead and be ‘free’ in Botswana permanently instead of being useless and expensive in the UK, I’m all for it. Maybe William would like to run off to Kenya while we’re at it!
Nah, Africa has enough opportunistic white leeches draining our resources. Keep them.
Wasnt he hounded by press when he took Chelsy there and there was photos every day? Or am I thinking of a different trip? But sure, normal, non Prince enjoying his colony BS.
As for engagement on this vacation, I hope not. She’s his 3rd(?) girlfriend he brought to the same place/hotel, jmho it’s slightly used up it’s significance romantically. It just shows he’s serious taking her to a place that’s special to him.
I didn’t know Botswana only had one hotel.
I think it was reported he took her time the same one for “camping” he took another too.
No. The only place we know of that he was staying at was the houseboat with Chelsy. They rented it for his 21st birthday party. He never was there again.
Yeah, it’s a bit of a romantic bust if a guy has taken several previous girlfriends there before you. But if she really is after the prize of marrying royalty (who knows?), then I guess it’s not a deal breaker if the proposal takes place there.
I just want to get past the proposal so we can get to more and better gossip.
How is the place where your grandmother found out her father was dead a romantic place in any kind of way ? That writer is trying way too hard.
Has the same sort of tone as Blake Lively and her fascination with the South and antebellum life
This!
Botswana is important to him because the first time he visited was shortly after his mother’s death. I am sure it gave him a sense of freedom and peace at a time where all eyes were on the boys. He has since gone back almost every year sometimes even twice and has made friends there. Sentebale expanded to Botswana last year as a result of that. Taking his girlfriend to a place he loves, introducing her to his friends, shows that he is serious.
Also not quite sure why you are criticising Harry for something Penny Junor wrote?
Yes, it’s the writer’s interpretation and projection, not his fault.
+1 I tried to say the same but my comment was deleted. Are we not allowed to disagree here?
Harry went to Botswana when he was 13? And 14? And 15?
It’s nice that he likes to vacation there but I doubt there is a big Diana connection.
All those Windsors, Charles, William and Harry “found” themselves in Africa in their late teens. If anything, it’s more of a Charles connection than Diana.
He first went there in 1997 and is quoted saying he’s been visiting for the past 20 years. I don’t see a “Diana connection” per se but a connection to a time where he was full of grief and was surely getting even more attention than usual in the UK. At that time he first visited Botswana with a schoolfriend, his nanny and a friend of Charles, while Charles was on a official visit to South Africa. It must have given him some kind of peace/freedom or whatever you want to call it, for him to still go back there so frequently 20 years on. Now, obviously he also has a deep personal connection to the place. He goes there to see friends, introduce his girlfriend, work with a conservation charity he is patron of and even expanded his own charity to the country.
Hm. The South Africa trip was well reported at the time. All I remember is Harry traveling with his father – with his FATHER, who was supporting him during his grieving process – and being reportedly very excited to see the Spice Girls concert.
As for the sense of peace, perhaps. He sure likes to visit various African nations, and the cynical part of me think it is because he is left alone. Sure, he deserves that, but he also needs to earn it. And right now his work ethic at home is abysmal. As bad as his brother’s.
None of us know his true reasons, though. It could be as shallow as Botswana provides private place to party (there have been some pretty hard core party photos coming out of some of his African trips, mostly back in the Chelsy days), or, it could be as deep as a deep mystical sense of belonging partnered with a true belief in his patronage of Senteble. The truth is probably somewhere in between.
I’m a Kenyan and to be honest some of the way the Princes time in Africa is troublesome. Like that magazine shoot Harry did in Zambia(?) with all his white African friends. In a majority black country, ALL your conservationist friends are white???
I also detest this Penny person.
That said, the article is right. It’s easy for the Princes to blend. Their faces are just not top of mind because people don’t follow this crap. And even so, people don’t care unless he is actively drawing attention to himself. There are parts of Kenya that see more celebs than most US cities precisely because we dgaf.
Exactly. They get to hang out with people who are exactly like themselves only without the royal bit (hence the pals are all white), which is what they think of as normal behaviour.
When they whinge about just wanting to be normal, this is what they mean. Not normal to the rest of us – which is a 9-5 without too much of a commute, a house we can afford and a car that doesn’t break down. They want to be 1% normal, not actual normal.
The weird irony of it is they believe they’re ‘modernising’ the BRF in reality they want to go back to Downton Abbey lifestyles of the idle rich, reeking of privilege without any sense of duty to anyone but themselves.
They want to be “jet off to Botswana/Lesotho to check on my patronages” normal.
Well many black Africans can’t afford to be conservationists.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wangari_Maathai
Further, the years i studied in Africa, part of the school curriculum was about Agriculture and conservation.
These people’s idea of conservation is about saving the big 5 so they can gawp at it, not truly taking care of the land as a whole.
Wangari Maathai had the most amazing life. Her autobiography is something else. I might have to get it out and re-read it now you’ve brought her up!
What needles me is the sexist narrative of “Harry’s taking Meghan to Africa,” as if he’s the intrepid guide who’s gonna show his little woman the magical, mystical Dark Continent. She’s been there before. Why is the narrative not Meghan’s taking Harry to Africa? Why are these articles doing so much othering of Africa and Africans?
Because Harry is paying. If Meghan were paying, then it would be “Maghen takes Harry to place she loves”. Additionally, the articles about this visit say Meghan has never been to Botswana, hence “Harry is taking Meghan” there since he has been there before and she never has.
It’s also her birthday. Not sure why it’s odd that a boyfriend is taking his girlfriend on a trip for her birthday.
Do we know this? That Harry is paying?
Harry has taken his previous girlfriends to Botswana plenty of times before. It’s definitely a ‘Harry taking Meghan to xyz’ type situation.
That’s pretty much been debunked. Botswana wasn’t exotic to Chelsy, she was raised in Zimbabwe and her father ran a Safari outfit. There was one 21st birthday party on a houseboat in Botswana, but no he hasn’t taken his two other serious girlfriends on the identical vacation.
Where are all of these African friends on UK visit? Where is Harry snapped at their weddings and the births of their children? Where are these friends during Wimbledon? Where are these friends during conservation fundraisers or those quaint safari photo shoots? Where are these friends on holidays in Europe, on the ski slopes or pubbing in Kensington? Major eyeroll. And let’s not forget that Chelsy Davy’s family was extremely problematic when it came to their white colonial privilege. No thanks, Harry.
I bet these “African friends” are all rich white blond heirs who own land in Botswana and party half the year in London with Harry and Co.
See Jecca Craig and Chelsy davy.
With so many vibrant, engaging people of color in sub-Saharan Africa I refuse to believe there are none good enough to pal around with princes. It makes my blood boil.
Sure, Jan.
The people of Botswana are called Batswana.not Botswanaons or whatever..I am one..so am a Motswana..
AND HARRY IS HERE…..OMĢGGGGG
I was about to type the same thing, ke Motswana (South African), what the heck is a Botswanans? lol
Penny’s article would have made me throw up my breakfast except I haven’t eaten it yet.
Good thing. My coffee isn’t sitting very well right now…(*reaches for Alka Seltzer*)
Is anyone else getting Rita Skeeter vibes from dear Mz. Junor?
I think a reverse sort of “A United Kingdom” the movie might be applicable here. It’s a lovely period drama, which hasn’t been given enough coverage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX5vI4osR50
That director is really unlucky or chooses terrible distributors because she picks really good dramas to make and they are all lost in the slipstream of some other bigger drama BELLE was lost in the slipstream of 12YAS, A UNITED KINGDOM was lost in the slipstream of LOVING.